Last Hope
by SatanOnTheWeb
Summary: Isabella Swan, inexplicably depressed and troubled, crosses past with Edward Cullen, well-known delinquent with a history of violent crimes. Somehow, they find some type of solace in each other as they struggle to survive. AH! AU!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. All rights belong to Stephanie Meyer.**

**A/N~ This story will contain slightly dark themes, swearing, adult situations, and instances of self-harm. If any of this bothers you, I advise you to stop reading right. Now. And thank you for deciding to give my story a read. I appreciate it greatly.**

**Now, on to the story!**

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_"She's all alone, and that's not right!"_

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**Chapter 1**

Bella supposed she was attracted to the darker elements of Forks.

Like how everyone had a habit of disappearing all of a sudden. Or the many cold cases.

Or her neighborhood.

Her _new _neighborhood.

"Do you like it, Bells?" Charlie squeezed her hand reassuringly as Bella looked at the old, chipping paint, the cracked windows on the upper floors, and the old, worn steps leading to the skinny front door. The entire thing looked like it might collapse any minute.

"It's very pretty," she lied. She pulled on the front of her dress. "Needs a little renovating, though..."

Charlie's eyes widened. "Oh, of course! I've ordered some of that purple paint you wanted." He furrowed his eyebrows. "You like purple, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Bella said and she watched with curious eyes at the ancient house. It's shingles were peeling and there was an old rocking chair moving in the light wind, making light, creaking noises. Bella smiled. "Can we go in, now?" Her bags were stuffed under her arms and Charlie nodded.

"Yeah, just let me get the key out of the car." Charlie walked to his cruiser and Bella looked around at the newer, grander houses on the block. The grass in her front-yard was dry and browning and grew just a bit below her knees. It smelled like mildew and the concrete leading up to the front steps had large, deep cracks in it. A dead squirrel was lying tangled in a mesh of wild growing weeds. The distant sounds of kids playing, lawns being mown, and barbecue came to her. She looked around, staring at the freshly cut grass, the happy families on the block, and an elderly woman biting slowly into a steak.

Then, she looked at her house.

It was just... _there_. It seemed like the wind seemed to hit it the hardest and the screen to the door flew open, smacking against the outside, little pieces of broken glass flying all over the place. It seemed so dead compared to everything else. It's windows were dark and she could see herself in the front window on the bottom floor, staring blankly at the property, struggling to keep hold of her things. Her knobby knees, her long brown hair, her sunken, hollow cheeks.

"Got it!" Charlie slammed his door and hurried up the front steps, stumbling as he hauled his suitcase along. A lighter was clutched in his hand as he pushed the door open, rubbing his nose and wiping his eyes as bits of dust got onto him. He beckoned Bella towards him. "Bella, come take a look."

Her feet moved slowly as she carried her bags with her. Her jumper was a bit too big on her and it brushed against her mid thigh, covering a lot of the top portion of her jeans. As she let her bags drop beside her, she stared at the inside, taking in the little furniture left behind- a mahogany-colored coffee table, a rather large and green couch with small pillows thrown onto the cushions, and a dusty, tall lamp standing hunched over in the far corner of the living room, the light-bulb flickering slightly as Bella stepped closer.

"I thought about getting red-colored carpet," Charlie commented quietly as he made his way around the house, touching the peeling wallpaper and sniffing the stuffy air. "You know, in the living-room and our rooms." He ran a finger along the wall, a thick trail of dust collecting on his index finger. "Whew! Could use some cleaning, don't you think?"

"Yeah, sure," Bella said absently as she walked into the living room. A large picture that hung over the red-bricked fireplace had caught her attention. The frame was made of a copper-like material. The picture was in black and white. A miserable looking couple were pressed together, shoulder to shoulder, surrounded by gaunt-faced children with thick eyebrows and heavy eyelids and deep, purplish bruises under the eyes, as if they hadn't slept in days. A girl each stood on either side of a laughing, incredibly out of place baby, who was being held by his parents.

"You'd think the family that lived here last would've wanted to take this with them," Bella said loudly and Charlie appeared beside her, holding more bags. "Looks very old... very... _antique._"

Charlie shrugged. "I dunno. Looks pretty creepy to me." Bella threw him an annoyed look, pulling on the white sheer of her sweater's sleeve. "Well, it does! Looks like the Addam's family if you really think about it." Charlie stared at it for a moment before nudging Bella. "If you want, you can take some of your stuff upstairs."

"You sure?" Bella asked. "I mean, aren't you worried about me getting a better room than you?"

Charlie shook his head. "Oh, no. It's alright. If you haven't noticed, I like smaller, more confined spaces. Knock yourself out, Bells." He glanced at the painting again. "Gives me the creeps." He disappeared around the corner and Bella went back to the front door, picking up her duffel bags and making her way carefully upstairs.

The hallway was long and narrow, the only thing lighting it was the two long, slightly cracked windows on the opposite walls, mirroring each other. Bella peeked into the rooms, looking at the small, hastily built bathroom and a large, grand room at the end of the hall with an left-behind mattress sitting in it. Bella walked in and let her bags drop, plopping down on the mattress and staring out of the window. There was a slightly crooked house across the street from her, from which stepped a young-looking couple, laughing and hanging onto each other. Bella watched them, admiring the woman's long, auburn curls, get into a fancy car and drive off down the road.

She watched as two people- both boys- stepped out to wave at them. An annoyed looking blond girl stepped out and opened her mouth wide, giving the impression that she was yelling.

Bella's eyes drifted upwards to the stained glass windows and burgundy-colored curtains closed tightly over the windows. A flash of movement caught her eye and she moved towards the window next to it, in which a young boy who looked her age sat, staring back at her.

Bella, slightly unnerved, waved slowly, a shy smile spreading across her face.

_Hi_, he mouthed and Bella said the same. He disappeared momentarily, reappearing with a whiteboard and a marker. Bella grinned.

_What's your name? _He held up and Bell held up a finger. She opened her bag and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper.

_Bella. You?_

He scribbled furiously. _Edward._

_Hi, Edward._

_Hello Bella._

There was a pause before Edward held up, _You must be just moving in._

Bella nodded vigorously, writing _I'm from Arizona. My dad's a native, though._

Edward looked slightly impressed. _How old are you?_

_Sixteen. And you?_

_I turn seventeen this month._

Bella bit her lip, unable to think of anything else, until she remembered the three standing outside of his house.

_Were those people outside your house your siblings?_

Edward thought a moment before responding with a shake of his head.

_Oh_.

Edward stared at her, smiling and Bella flushed slightly, pressing her hand against the cool glass. He was cute. His hair was in need of a light trim, but he was ok, she guessed. He had a tiny bit of stubble, and he had dark green eyes. He had small bags under his eyes and a long, skinny cut that looked like it was just starting to heal alongside his cheek. His hand pressed against the glass also and he leaned forward, breathing on the glass of his window. He mouth something and Bella tried copying the actions. It felt to her something like _you're very pretty. _

Then, a hand jerked him backwards. Bella pressed her face against the glass, ignoring the chill feel, and watched with wide eyes as a burly, black-haired boy with dimples barked at him. Edward's hand flew out in front of him as he backed away from the window. The black-haired boy was holding the whiteboard up in the air, a searing look in his eyes. The blond girl Bella had seen had appeared and snatched the white-board out of his hands, reading it, and then smacked Edward on the side of his face with it. Edward fell against the window and a crack appeared in it.

Bella's heart raced as Edward stumbled, trying to get up. He was a bit skinny, but not like Bella, who was scraggly and who could never find the right fit at a clothing store. They both closed in on him, yelling, and Edward held up his fist menacingly. The blond looked out the window and her blue eyes rested on Bella. Bella's breath caught in her throat, and as the burly boy's fist came closer to Edward's face, the burgundy curtains fell closed.

And Bella was left alone.

Again.

"Bella?" Charlie called. "Bella!"

"I-I'm coming!" She felt a bit uneasy, just having witnessed something that she obviously wasn't supposed to have seen. She stumbled as she stood up, gripping the mattress for support and walking down the hall.

She felt slightly ashamed. The fact that she had witnessed something that she had no business seeing. The fact that she had just watched. It made her stomach churn in sickening ways as she tried to steady herself.

Bella glanced back at the window, where there was a solitary hand print mirroring the one in the window across the street. The burgundy curtains swayed slightly.

Bell sighed, and made her way downstairs.

...

**A/N- Just a thank you note to you all who have read this chapter to the end. Thank you, thank you, thank you! And if you don't mind, please review, favorite, whatever. Reviews and favorites motivate me a lot, if you didn't know! **

**And remember to just keep reading...**

**Keep reading...**

**Keep reading...**

**~ Aunt Jemima**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N- All I have to say is that I do not own Twilight. All rights are reserved to Mrs. Stephanie Meyer.**_

_**Oh, and enjoy.**_

**Chapter 2**

**Edward**

I wake up every morning and look into the face of death.

I have this ritual. I wake up, stare at myself in the mirror for about ten minutes, take a shower, comb my fingers through my hair, pull on clothes, and leave. I don't waste time checking on little things, like my growling stomach, or my sister screaming my name, or how there's a noticeable pimple on my face in need of a popping. All I do is spend as less time as possible, trying to get out as soon as I can.

I don't have friends to wait up for me in the morning, and I like it better like that- no disruptions, no loud talking and slowing me down from getting to school. I'm perfectly fine with being alone. My parents think I'm in denial, but I just think that they're sour because, as it turns out, I'm perfectly content with being alone. There's not as many distractions, I can listen to my music in piece, and I don't have to worry about unnecessary attachments.

_Unnecessary attachments. _I like to think of those as girlfriends, extracurricular activities (my school only has sports and band as extracurricular activities, and I'm shit at both so...), etc. Stuff like that that keeps me from swimming along in school unhurried and unnoticed. My dad's kind of given up on trying to get me to get involved socially, but my mom's not so easy to let go of things.

"Edward would _love _to come to Jess's birthday party, wouldn't you, Edward?"

"No-"

"Eight? We'll be there at seven-thirty..." And so it continues. Her trying to get me to become some type of social butterfly and me running away from her whenever she tries to get me to make eye-contact with cashiers at the grocery store. I think she just doesn't want me to become some type of psycho-sociopath, like Ted Bundy, and go on some type of killer rampage.

It's a never-ending cycle.

I don't think I'm gonna end up as some thirty-five year-old who still lives with his parents... well, maybe I am. But I'll have a job. Maybe someday (not really) I'll find a nice girl to settle down with...

_Ha!_ Yeah, that's not gonna happen.

I personally think that the only woman I need in my life is Esme. Perfect, caring, a tad-bit overbearing Esme, who makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the world and who wouldn't have the heart to kick me out no matter how devoid of human contact I am. That's why I love her more than anything in the world. She's my mother, the woman who'll care about me no matter what. I can't _imagine _leaving her behind, moving to somewhere East, like New York.

It can't happen.

But that's enough of my personal problems. I like directing my attention to the things that happen at school so that I won't have to worry about my own problems for a while. Like, how Lauren Mallory had another pregnancy scare this year, or how Mike Newton and Jessica Stanley are in a relationship, even though Jessica gazes at me in every period I have with her, or how she's always near by my locker, asking me for math tutoring, even though everyone knows I'm shit at math.

"I'm sorry, but no," I say, and she gnaws on her bottom lip, leaning over slightly to expose some of her cleavage. I suck in through my teeth. "Maybe some other time."

"But _Edward_," she moans and she rests a hand on my arm. I resist the urge to recoil and she grins at me. "I'm suffering. And, Mike's no help. He's to busy with sports. My parents don't get home until nine tonight," she bats her long eyelashes. "Maybe you can come over and give me some... private lessons." Her strong rose perfume burns my nostrils and as I turn my head to the side to let out a cough, I catch a head of long brown hair weaving through the crowd, closer, closer, until I manage to see a face, pale in the harsh light of the halls.

_Her._

I don't believe it at first, but as her lips become visible, I gently push Jessica away and press my back against my locker, watching as she clutches her book bag to her chest, pressing tissue to a scratch on the side of her face.

Jessica follows my gaze and snorts. "Ugh, _her_."

My head snaps back towards her. "You know her?"

"Total snob. Walked over this freshman on the ground. Didn't even _bother _to help her up." Jessica shakes her head. "Seems like a complete bitch to me." She checks over her manicured nails, looking up at me. "About that math tutoring, Edward. Listen, just for a few weeks. Until midterms, and then-"

But I'm not listening. I'm still staring at her. She's small, but not as small as Jessica, whose head barely comes to my chin, and she's a tad bit skinnier than the rest of the girls here. She's wearing this long dress made up of different shades of purple and splotches of black here and there, and a hat sitting on her brown head to hide her face. She's put on a dark shade of red lipstick, and her hair is parted, falling halfway down her torso, stopping a little above her rib-cage. Her eyebrows are thin, dark brown and evenly space apart.

"...Edward?" Jessica shakes me and lightly jabs me in the stomach. "Edward, are you listening to me?" Her head turns and our eyes meet. There's this look of recognition on her face and her eyebrows push together as she attempts to form words.

_You? _

Jessica is still shaking me and I un-clamp her fingers from around my shoulders. "Jess, I'll talk to you about in math, ok?" Jessica's eyes are wide as I make my way away from her.

"Edward?" Her face scrunches up as she stamps her foot impatiently. "_Edward!"_ She throws her bag onto the ground. "_Edward get back here!"_

She's a lot shorter, but not too short. I thought she'd be taller standing up and as she watches me approach, people are yelling at her, knocking her around, telling her to move. One of her books drops out of her bag. When I'm close enough, I squat, picking up the dusty novella and holding it out in front of her, never breaking eye contact.

"Here. I think you dropped this."

"Thanks." She smiles sheepishly and gingerly takes it from my hands, shaking her head. "Wow. You're a fucking giant in person. I guess talking to someone through a glass window makes it seem like that, though. Doesn't it?"

"I thought you were gonna be taller," I shrug and we both laugh.

"What happened to you back there? I mean, I didn't get you in trouble, did I?"

_Yeah, kind of. _"Nah. I just... I forgot to do some chores." There's this aching sensation in my ribs and swallow the groan of discomfort I want to let out. She _did _get me in trouble. A _lot _of trouble, but something makes it oddly worth it. Even though me talking to her isn't gonna fix my ribs.

"My name's-"

"Bella," I finish and my lips twitch upwards. "Yeah, you told me. I'm Edward." I take her outstretched hand, noticing how warm it is, how it reminds me of Esme's hands. I point to her bruising face. "What happened there?"

She rolls her eyes. "These skanks jumped me in the parking lot. Some brunette and her friends-"

"Jessica?"

"Yeah... yeah I think that was her name." Her eyes narrow. "You know her?" Her tone is accusatory, as if she thinks I'm her boyfriend.

"Yeah," I answer, "she's a total bitch."

Her mouth stretches wide, exposing her white teeth as she throws her head back and laughs.

_XXX_

_Reviews for the next chapter. I appreciate your feedback so far._


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